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Bishop's Bread




Bishop's Bread
Source: Maida Heatter's Best Dessert Book Ever (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 59.

This is not really a bread but more like a coffee cake. It is an Austrian-German recipe called Birchofsbrot. I've seen other variations that use more candied fruits and some that use regular chocolate instead of white. The cake part is very light, very much like a sponge cake. 

Maida recommends using a long, narrow loaf pan for this. I have one that measures 12.5" x 5" and it worked well. 

I would suggest that you start checking it at 55 minutes. I baked this for one hour and it was ready (she states 1 hour, 10 minutes) and I actually think it could have come out 5 minutes earlier. It was a bit dry around the outside edges. This could have been from me using a dark pan. A lighter pan is recommended.

Note that the instructions say to let it sit wrapped in plastic overnight. I'm not sure what the purpose for that is but it is good to know beforehand.

4 oz. (1/2 cup) pitted dates, cut into small pieces
2 1/2 oz. (1/2 cup) unblanched almonds, chopped
3-4 oz. white chocolate, chopped into 1/4" pieces
2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup unsifted unbleached flour
2 1/2 ounces (1/2 cup) raisins
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
5 large eggs, separated
3 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
Confectioners sugar (to sprinkle on top before serving)

Preheat the oven to 350. Use the bottom 1/3 rack.

Line a 10-cup loaf pan (see earlier comments) with foil. It is best to cut two strips for each direction. Butter it well and coat with dry bread crumbs.


Sift 2 tablespoons of the flour into a mixing bowl. Add the dates and use your fingers to coat them with the flour. Then add the raisins and nuts, coating them with the flour as well.







Beat the egg yolks and the 3 tablepoons of sugar at high speed for 5 minutes. Add this mixture to the flour/fruit mixture and fold together.





Let stand for a moment and then sift the cocoa over the fruit mixture.



In a clean mixer bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt until the whites hold a shape. Lower the speed and add the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar, about a tablespoon at a time. Increase the speed and mix until the whites hold a semi-firm shape. Do not overbeat.



Add the egg white mixture a little at a time and fold in.




Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and smooth the top.



Bake for 55 - 70 minutes until the top springs back when lightly pressed.

Cool in the pan for 40-50 minutes. Then invert the pan onto a wire rack and remove the foil. Let the cake finish cooling upside down on the rack. 





Wrap in plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature overnight.

Sprinkle with confectioners sugar, if desired, when serving.



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